Beauty and the Beast
by The Story Siren
Summary: When Elizabeta's delusional father, Arthur, stumbles upon an ancient castle during his quest to find a Flying Mint Bunny, he is taken prisoner by the fearsome beast who dwells within. Now, in order to free her father, Elizabeta must take his place as the Beast's prisoner. But is the Beast really the monster he appears to be? Can Elizabeta free him from his curse? AusHun FanFic.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hey, everyone! Welcome to the first chapter of my new story, Beauty and the Beast. This is a AusHun fanfic, and is loosely based around the original fairy tale, with some elements from the Disney Film Adaption as well. Please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything or anyone or anywhatevers. Anything used here either belongs to Disney, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve (Wrote the first published version of Beauty and the Beast), and/or Hidekaz Himaruya. The only part of this that even REMOTELY belongs to me is the use of these people's/corporation's plot elements/characters.**

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Chapter One

To call Elizabeta strange was an understatement. In her village, rumors and gossip about the young woman were as regular as the change of the seasons. Weird looks and whispers followed her everywhere she went, to the point where they had become all but invisible to her. Why was she strange? It wasn't because of the way she looked. Elizabeta was, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman in the entire village. It wasn't because of anything she said or did. Elizabeta was kind and polite to those who extended the same to her.

It was the things Elizabeta _didn't _say and do that made her strange.

Elizabeta was 21 years old and wasn't married. She received marriage proposals from men in the village on a regular basis, but she never accepted them. She explained to the men, upon her rejection, that she refused to be some man's "little wife". She refused to accept the role the other women of the village so dutifully played. They were submissive, quiet, obedient- _female. _Elizabeta wore breeches, read books, practiced shooting and sword fighting, rode horses, swore and drank like the men in the village. It was _this_ that made Elizabeta so strange. Despite these so-called "odd tendencies" of hers, the other men in the village chased after her- one man in particular more so than the rest.

Gilbert Beilschmidt was the most handsome man in the village. His foreign albino features made him quite popular among the women of the village, a small gaggle of whom formed a club dedicated to worshipping Gilbert. His combat skills and hunting prowess earned him the favor of the village males. This idolism did not go unnoticed by Gilbert. It only served to inflate his ego and give him a sense of self-righteousness. And while the cocky male could have had his choice of any woman in the village as his bride, Gilbert had only one woman in his sights-_Elizabeta. _

"Come on, you know that I'm totally the awesomest guy there is," he had argued upon her twelfth refusal of the day, "and loads of chicks would die for the chance to marry me. You're a lucky woman, you know that, Liz?"

Taking a deep breath to control her temper, Elizabeta spun around to face the arrogant albino. "For the last time, my name is Elizabeta. Not 'Liz' or 'Betty' or 'Woman' or any other stupid nickname you may have bouncing around in that empty head of yours!" She turned on her heel and continued walking home, her fist clenching around the handle of her basket. "And the answer, _once again_, is no! No! Do you understand that word? NO!" She yelled over her shoulder.

Running to catch up to the quickly retreating female in front of him, Gilbert smoothly slid in front of her, blocking her from moving past him with the extension of his long, muscular arms. "Now, now, Liz, let's not say something you'll regret later. Clearly, you're intimidated by my awesomeness. I know, it seems unlikely that someone as awesome as me would go for a girl like you, but-" He didn't get the chance to finish his thought, as Elizabeta pulled her newly-purchased frying pan out from her basket and swung at his head.

With a sickening crunch, Gilbert was face-down in the dirt, and Elizabeta was storming off, swearing profusely. "Stupid, pompous, self-absorbed bastard," she muttered "That thick skull of his put a dent in my nice new frying pan!" Pissed off, she kicked the fence gate of her home open and stormed up the walkway, silently apologizing to the startled barn animals as she walked past. Taking another breath to steady herself, Elizabeta tried her best to attempt a smile as she opened the front door. "Papa? I'm home!" She called out, setting her basket down on the kitchen table and following the sounds of indiscernible chatter down to the cellar.

Her father sat at a rather short circular table, several small chairs surrounding it. He held a teapot in his hands, and was currently filling the teacups that were set on the table. "Here's some for _you, _and some for _you, _and some for- Lizzy! Care to join us?" He asked, holding up the teapot. "I'm afraid Captain Hook is downing the tea like it's rum, but there's still some left if you want to join!"

Giving her father a smile and a shake of the head, Elizabeta glanced at the empty chairs surrounding her father and did her best to play along. "I'm alright, Papa, but I think Uni is swiping sugar cubes when you aren't looking."

Her father turned to the chair on his left and swatted at an invisible being, scolding lightly. "Aha! So you _are. _What have I told you about watching your sugar intake, Uni? You really do need to be more careful. And _you, _Tink…"

Leaving her father to his "Social Gathering", Elizabeta headed back upstairs and went outside to feed the barn animals. As she filled the horse's stall with hay, she couldn't help but think back to her father.

Ever since her mother died, her father had turned to his "Friends" For companionship. Claiming that they were invisible only to those who didn't possess magical ability or believe in them, he often spent his days in the cellar with his "Friends", the names of whom Elizabeta quickly learned in order to please her father. Yes, she knew if her father ever learned that his so-called "Friends" weren't real, it would mean the end of his spirit and the loss of her father completely.

Deep in thought, Elizabeta didn't notice the retreat of the animals around her as a figure closed in on her from behind. Suddenly, a pair of hands came down over her eyes, snapping her out of her thoughts and sending her into defensive mode. Elizabeta spun and blindly threw a punch out at her attacker, hearing a _smack_ and a string of curses as her fist found its mark.

"Ahh! _Damn_ it, Liz!" Gilbert swore as he rubbed his throbbing jaw. "What, a guy can't surprise his fiancée without getting sucker-punched in the face?" He asked.

"Gilbert! You scared me for a moment there!" Elizabeta exclaimed. "And what's this about me being your fiancée? I've already told you no over _five hundred times. _What makes you think I'll suddenly say yes?" She demanded.

Flashing her one of his cocky grins, Gilbert draped his arm around her shoulder carelessly and started walking her to the front of the house. "Because, when you see what I've done for you, you'll be so impressed by my awesomeness that you'll be asking _me _to marry _you_! But of course, I'll be nice and say yes. No need to thank me." He added as they turned the corner and Elizabeta saw what he had done.

In the meadow across from her house, where her mother had been buried, Gilbert had torn up every single flower and arranged them to spell "I AM AWESOME. ELISABETHA, MARRY ME."

Her vision blurring with unshed tears, Elizabeta shoved Gilbert off of her roughly, her hands balling into fists as she screamed. "You think_ this _will convince me to marry you?! Are you _insane?! _What the _hell_, Gilbert! You destroyed my mother's meadow! You ruined her gravesite- _and you spelled my name wrong! _You think this will make me want to marry you? Go to hell, you bastard!" She yelled before slapping him across the face and running inside.

Her father came up from the cellar just as she slammed the front door behind her. "What's all the yelling about?" He asked.

Brimming with fury, Elizabeta faced him and spat out angrily "Gilbert was being a fucking dumbass. That's what. But you wouldn't know anything about Gilbert, would you Papa? Because you're never in the village to see him try to molest me every single day! You're here, with all of your "Friends", aren't you?!" As soon as the words escaped her lips, Elizabeta found herself wishing she could take them back. "Papa, I- I didn't mean that." She whispered. "I'm sorry, I-" Before she could continue, she found herself pulled into a tight embrace.

"No, _I'm _sorry. I'm sorry I'm not there when you need me to be." Her father whispered. "But hey, I know something that will make you feel better." He said, his tone warming as he spoke. "I know of something that will make everything better for us."

"Really, Papa? What is it?" Elizabeta asked, beginning to feel hopeful.

"I'm going out to find… A _Flying Mint Bunny._" Her father said excitedly, his smile grower brighter as Elizabeta's own heart sank. "Captain Hook found an old map on one of the ships he recently plundered, and he said it will lead us straight to a magical Flying Mint Bunny who will grant us wishes! We'll never want for anything again!"

"Papa, I…" Elizabeta lost the will to continue, noting her father's eager expression. She hadn't seen this much vitality in him in many years. "I wish you luck. When are you leaving?" She asked, barely suppressing a sigh.

"Tomorrow morning." Her father replied. "I wish I could take you with me, but Tink says she only has enough pixie dust for the four of us."

Elizabeta nodded, trying to look sympathetic. "Poor Tink. Tell you what, Papa, why don't you take Dusty with you? I'm sure if you're riding on horseback, Tink won't have to use as much pixie dust, and she won't tire out as quickly."

Her father nodded. "That's a good idea. Uni is still too small for me to ride, so Dusty will be perfect. That way, Tink won't have to exert herself too much. You're smart, Lizzy." He commended.

Elizabeta shrugged, trying to look modest. _I won't have him hurting himself trying to fly. _She thought to herself. _Seeing things that aren't there is one thing; Doing things that can't be done is another._

* * *

The next morning, Elizabeta helped her father pack and saddle up Dusty, their only horse, for his trip. Not knowing how long he'd be gone, Elizabeta made sure to pack lots of food for her father, despite his claims that Uni could produce as much magical unicorn milk as he needed. With a hug, a kiss, and a promise that he would return one hundred times wealthier than when he left, her father was gone.

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**AN: Whaddya think? Please R&R! Also: If you find any grammatical/spelling/punctuation errors and point them out to me, I will forever be in your debt. Love you all! Stay tuned! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Here we are, Chapter Two! Yaaaay! Alright, so a lot of people have been telling me that England should have been Cogsworth (The clock), but I made him the dad so that he would have a reason for going out in the woods. Yes, I agree that he and France would have been entertaining as Lumiere and Cogsworth, but I think that the person I've chosen to be Cogsworth will do a good job, too. Besides, the character I've chosen rarely gets a chance in the spotlight. In fact, he seems to be forgotten almost as often as Canada. Wait, who is Canada again...? Oh well. Here's Chapter Two! :D **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. :( Merrr.**

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Chapter Two

"This way, Arthur. Just a little farther." Tink promised, beckoning him closer as she led him down a shady trail. "The Flying Mint Bunny should be just around the next turn."

"You said that nine turns ago." Arthur reminded her, but following her nonetheless. _Tink has never led me astray before, _he told himself, _so why would this time be any different? That's probably why the pixie dust didn't work on me earlier. I didn't have faith in her. _Now he was on Dusty, riding down a narrow, winding road in the middle of a dark forest.

Then, off in the distance, Arthur heard howling. "Pssst! Tink!" He whispered fearfully. "Did you hear that?"

Tink brushed his concern aside. "That's just the song of the Dalikai Birds." She told him. "_You_, Arthur, should have nothing to fear, for they only harm those who don't believe in them. You _do _believe in them, right?" She asked.

"Well, I've never heard of them before." Arthur admitted. "Oh! But I believe in them! I believe in them one _hundred_ percent!" He promised. As he spoke, the howling grew closer, and Arthur found himself chanting "I _do_ believe in Dalikai Birds, I _do_ believe in Dalikai Birds, I _do _believe in Dalikai Birds…"

Then, the wolves attacked.

They lunged out at him from both sides of the trail, teeth bared in malice. One wolf latched onto his leg with its teeth, pulling him off of his horse and onto the ground below. Arthur screamed as the wolves attacked him, his horse rearing and dashing away as fast as possible. Only his friends stayed with him, Captain Hook and Uni trying to fight off some of the wolves while Tink called out from above. "It's just an illusion created by the Dalikai Birds, Arthur! You have to believe in the birds, or it won't stop! _Believe,_ Arthur!" She cried.

"Screw believing!" Captain Hook yelled. "Arthur, _run!_"

He didn't hesitate for a moment. Rolling onto his stomach and lunging forward, Arthur ran blindly through the forest, ignoring Tink's wails of protest from behind him. _Run. Run. Run. Don't forget to breathe. Run. _He told himself, trying to block out the snarls and panting that came from all around him. Finally, he broke through the trees, and found himself slamming into the metal bars of what appeared to be an enormous gate. Without stopping, Arthur picked himself back up and shoved the heavy doors open, slipping inside and slamming them shut just as the first wolf threw itself against the bars. Gasping for air, Arthur took a few precautionary steps back from the gate and collapsed to the ground.

When he managed to get his breathing under control, he turned around and took in his surroundings. Before him stood an enormous castle, gothic and eerie against the grey sky above. _Wait, _grey_ sky? _Arthur looked up just as the first raindrop fell. Suddenly, it was pouring buckets. Uttering a few choice words that would leave no man wondering as to where Elizabeta picked up her vocabulary, Arthur hobbled up the path to the front door of the castle, babying his wounded leg as best he could. With great difficulty, he managed to lift the heavy brass knocker and release it, causing an echoing crash to resound within. Upon receiving no response, Arthur tried again. Soon, he was soaked with rain and decided to go inside, invitation or no invitation to do so.

"H-Hello?" He called out, shivering fiercely. The main hall of the castle was dark, the only light coming from a single candlestick resting on a ledge. "Hello?" Arthur tried again, louder. He passed by the candlestick and continued walking, stopping when he heard whispers from behind him. Turning around, he saw no one. "Hello? Please, I was travelling through these woods and my group was attacked by… birds. I'm wounded and in need of shelter for the night. Please…" He pleaded to the direction the voices had come from. "I know someone is there. Please, come out."

He heard the voices start up again, this time a little louder. Listening closely, Arthur could make out two distinct voices that seemed to be arguing about something.

"Absolutely not, aru! If the master finds out that-"

"Awww… have a heart. The poor man looks hurt and practically frozen."

"No, no, _no!"_

"Please, I don't mean any trouble." Arthur promised the voices, who quieted immediately. Arthur walked over to the candlestick on the ledge and picked it up, using it to cast light on the darker areas of the room in an attempt to find the source of the voices.

"Welcome, _monsieur!_" A voice called out.

"What? Who said that?" Arthur asked.

"Look up." The voice replied. Arthur looked up to see the candlestick staring back at him. "_Bonsoir." _He greeted. Startled, Arthur dropped the candlestick, who fell to the floor and righted himself with a sniff.

He was quickly joined by the clock that Arthur had seen next to the candlestick on the ledge earlier, who proceeded to scold him fiercely. "Well, now you've done it, aru! Just look! If the master knew what you were doing-Hey! Put me _down, _aru!" The clock protested as Arthur picked him up and began to examine him closely.

"_Amazing." _Arthur exclaimed. "A real life _clock golem! _Incredible!"

The clock huffed and gave him an odd look. "I am _not _a golem. I am a talking clock, that's all." Arthur didn't seem to have heard him, though, as he proceeded to poke and prod all aspects of the clock's frame. "Stop that, aru!" He demanded, breaking free of Arthur's hold and falling back to the floor.

Once the momentary euphoria and shock that came from meeting enchanted object passed, Arthur found himself shivering once again as his rain-soaked clothes chilled him to the bone.

"_Zut! _But of course! You are cold, tired and injured. Please, follow me. You can come warm yourself by the fire." The candlestick began to hop along the floor towards another room. Arthur, grateful for the chance to warm himself and treat his injury, followed.

"No! No! _No!_" The clock chased after the two. "Not the fire! He can't be here, Francis! You _know _what the master will do when he finds out that he's here, aru? He'll throw _him _in the dungeon, _you_ in the freezer, and _me _in the kindling pile!"

"Oh, Yao, you worry too much." The candlestick laughed. "Come, _monsieur, _sit. Warm your bones." He gestured to a large, ornately carved armchair that sat before an already blazing fire.

"Not the master's _chair!_" The clock called Yao wailed as Arthur sat down.

Almost immediately upon sitting down, a tea tray rolled up beside the chair. "Ooh! You have tea?" Arthur asked excitedly. _This is incredible._ He thought.

"Nein." A gruff voice replied. A beer stein that was resting on the tray turned around. "You are cold. You need beer to warm you up." He said. Arthur nodded in consent, and the beer stein turned to a small cup that was beside it. "Okay, Feliciano. I'm going to pour the beer now. Try not to laugh and spill it everywhere this time." He warned.

The cup turned to his larger partner and nodded. "I promise I'll try not to laugh, Ludwig. It's just such a funny feeling! Like when you have too much pas- Eeep!" The cup squealed in a very unmanly way and giggled as the stein poured the amber liquid into it.

"Verdammt, Feli! Control yourself!" The stein roared.

Arthur laughed at the exchange before him. "I like his enthusiasm." He said. The cup turned to him and nodded, indicating that he was ready to be picked up. Reaching over, Arthur noticed that the cup had a very unusual handle. It was near the top of the side of the cup, curling upwards in a spiral. After struggling for a minute with how to best grasp the handle, Arthur eventually just gave up and ignored the handle altogether. Lifting the cup to his lips, he took a long, slow swig of the beer, allowing the liquid to pour down his throat and send sparks through his fingers and toes. "That's good beer." He commented. He lifted the cup to take another sip-

Suddenly, the doors behind him slammed open, the air wave created by the motion extinguishing the fire before him and sending him into semi-darkness. The air around him grew cold, and Arthur felt his heart leap from his chest. A growl that would put any wolf outside to shame came from behind him, and Arthur noticed that all of the enchanted object around him were stock-stilled, their faces filled with terror.

"Someone is in my castle?" A dark, gruff voice demanded. Terrified to turn around, Arthur could only watch as a shadow descended upon him from behind. The beast behind him roared, and the entire room seemed to shake from the ferocity of it. Then, his chair was spun around, and Arthur found himself staring into a pair of enormous violet eyes. The monster in front of him was covered in dark brown fur, his enormous jaws opening and closing to reveal deadly fangs. The claws of the creature dug into the surfaces around him, threatening to tear the area apart. Arthur was trapped. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" The monster boomed.

"Please, I-I was in the w-woods and I was attacked! I lost my wa-" Arthur fell silent and cowered as the creature roared again.

"You aren't _welcome _here!" It growled.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know! Please! Just let me go!" Arthur begged.

"Oh, you can _go_ somewhere all right. _Straight to the dungeons!_" The beast thundered, grabbing Arthur by the neck and dragging him from the room.

"No, please! No! _NO!" _Arthur screamed.

In the fireplace room, the enchanted objects looked at one another guiltily. No one said a word as they listened to the man's screams fade into the darkness.

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**Well, there you go! Chapter Two is done! I know it was a little shorter than the last one, but I have good reasons for breaking this up the way I do. What do you all think of my choices for Lumiere, Cogsworth (aru ;) ), Mrs. Potts, and Chip? Did anyone notice what I did with Italy's handle? R&R Please! And stay tuned! :D **


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hey, guys! I'm sorry it's taken me awhile to update. . Stuff happens, ya know? But anyways, here's the next chapter. I know that a lot of the stuff in this chapter is similar to the movie, some of it is even exact quotes. But although the text may be similar right now, I will be changing some of the plot elements later on. For now, just bear with me. XD Enjoy the next chapter of Beauty and the Beast!**

**Disclaimer: Blah Blah I own nothing Blah Blah.**

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Chapter 3

Elizabeta sighed contently, closing her eyes and breathing in the cool evening air around her as she sprawled out on the grass. She had spent all day planting new flower seeds and cleaning up the mess Gilbert had made in her mother's meadow. It had taken hours to clean up all of the uprooted flowers, and even longer to plant new flower seeds. Now, at last, she had finished, and she was free to finally relax. She opened her eyes and watched as the sun slowly sank behind the surrounding hills, smiling to herself as the crickets hiding in the grass nearby began to chirp. Everything around her radiated peace, harmony, and tranquility.

But that peace was suddenly shattered with the rapidly approaching sound of hooves, accompanied by the panicked neigh of a frightened horse. Instantly springing to her feet, Elizabeta watched as a speck in the distance grew closer to take the form of Dusty, her family's horse. His saddle was askew, his eyes were bright and wild, and his breathing came in labored rasps. It was clear he had been running for quite a while. However, that wasn't what worried Elizabeta the most. What she was most concerned about was the fact that Dusty had returned with one passenger too few.

"Papa? Dusty, where is Papa? Did something happen to him?" She asked fearfully. Taking the whinny from the horse as a yes, Elizabeta mounted Dusty swiftly and grabbed the reins. "You have to take me to him. I've got to find him!" She cried.

Rearing and galloping swiftly back the way he came, Dusty tore across the landscape at an astonishing speed, considering he had clearly been running for hours before finding Elizabeta. She took it as a sign that something serious had happened to her father, and dug her heels into his flank to keep him going strong.

After five hours of straight travel, Dusty whinnied and slowed to a walk, signaling to Elizabeta that they had almost reached their destination. The sky had long since grown dark, and a bright moon illuminated the path ahead of them in an eerie silver glow. Squinting to see ahead, Elizabeta gasped when her eyes detected the metal bars of a gate. Struggling to see past them, she felt her stomach drop to the ground as she found herself facing a colossal castle, complete with steep, pitched roofs and leering, wicked-looking gargoyles. She swallowed nervously as she dismounted from Dusty, but tried her best to maintain an air of confidence as she opened the gates and marched up to the castle doors. Lifting the enormous brass knocker, she let it drop and slam against the door. Impatience getting the best of her, Elizabeta opened the doors and entered the castle.

The entrance hall was enormous. It was decked in rich but faded tapestries that hung over marble banisters. The hall was dim, scarcely any light shone except for those of the occasional wall sconce. From what Elizabeta could see, the space appeared clean, but abandoned.

"_Helloooo?" _She called out. "Anyone home? I'm looking for my father." She ascended the first flight of stairs, travelling down a deserted hallway and ducking into the first stairway she came to. She climbed the steep spiraling staircase, failing to notice the two pairs of eyes watching her.

"Yao! Do you see what I see? It is a _girl!_" Francis whispered excitedly as they watched her disappear up the stairs.

"My word! So it is!" Yao exclaimed. The pair scrambled after the girl, careful to remain out of sight.

* * *

Elizabeta reached the top of the staircase to find a heavy wooden door before her. Shoving it open, she stumbled into a dank, dark dungeon. "Hello?" She called out.

"Lizzy?" Her father's voice, hoarse with dehydration and sickness, came from one of the cell doors. After a moment, his face appeared at the bars.

"Papa!" She exclaimed. She rushed over to the cell, grasped his hands and peered into his eyes. "What happened? Who did this to you?" She asked.

Arthur gave a wracking cough before he spoke. "Lizzy, listen to me. You have to get out of here!" He insisted.

"What? No! I can't leave you here!" She cried. "Look at you! You're sick, starved- Papa, _who did this to you?_"

Suddenly, a loud growl filled the chamber as Elizabeta's cloak was grabbed roughly from behind, and she was yanked up from her kneeling position on the floor. She was spun around and found a pair of enormous violet eyes glaring at her from the shadows.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" The stranger in the shadows roared.

"I've come for my father. Please, let him go." Elizabeta begged. "He's sick and starving-he needs help!"

"He shouldn't have come here, then!" The stranger roared.

"Please," Elizabeta pleaded. "Please let him go."

"He is my prisoner. I will not let him go." The stranger growled determinedly.

"Oh, no! Please! There must be something I could do! I-" Elizabeta's voice caught in her throat as she realized what needed to be done. "I'll be your prisoner. I'll take his place." She offered.

"Bah!" The stranger scoffed before he paused to ponder her words. "You… would take his place?" He asked her, his voice softening slightly.

Elizabeta swallowed nervously before taking a determined step forward. "Yes, but only if you swear to let him go." She insisted.

"I will release him, provided that you swear to remain here… Forever." The stranger said.

Elizabeta mulled over her limited options for a minute before she realized that she had yet to see the face of her possible captor. "First… come into the light." She said. The stranger in the shadows hesitated for a moment before sliding carefully out into the light. Despite herself, Elizabeta couldn't help but gasp at the sight before her.

The creature before her could only be described as monstrous. He towered over her, standing at about seven feet tall. He was covered in thick, dark brown hair and had the claws of a wolf on his hands and feet. His face resembled that of a lion and a boar, with elongated fangs jutting evenly from his mouth. He had horns on either side of his head, and a bushy tail swishing about his ankles. His violet eyes shone brightly, searching her face and watching her reaction to his appearance.

Recoiling instinctively from the sight of the beast before her, Elizabeta hid her face in her hands until her father's hacking coughs reminded her of the situation they were in. Taking a deep breath, Elizabeta lowered her hands, balling them into determined fists at her sides as she stepped forward. "I give you my word… I will stay." She said. She tried to sound as confident as possible, but couldn't stop her voice from cracking with emotion at the end of her vow.

"It is done." The Beast growled, moving past her to unlock the cell. As he passed, Elizabeta sank to her knees in despair, realizing the severity of her choice.

As soon as his door was opened, Arthur rushed to his daughter's side and grasped her shoulders. "Lizzy, listen to me. I can get out of here on my own. I have my magic. You don't. Don't give yourself up for me. I-Agh!" He was cut off when the Beast grabbed him by his cloak and proceeded to drag him from the room.

"Papa! No! Wait, please!" Elizabeta begged, but before she could stand up, the tower door slammed shut, and her father was gone.

Feeling the tears begin to pool in her eyes, Elizabeta stood and made her way to her father's cell. Closing the door behind her, she walked over to the corner of the room and sat down, burying her face in her knees and opening the floodgates of her eyes.

* * *

"Please! Don't take my daughter!" The man begged as the Beast dragged him outside.

"She's no longer your concern!" The Beast roared. "Take him to the village!" He ordered as he threw the man unceremoniously into the enchanted carriage, which immediately rose and took off towards its commanded destination. Soon enough, the man's protests faded into the distance, and with a satisfied grunt, the Beast turned and went inside the castle.

He started back towards the tower, but found himself stopped by Francis.

"Umm… Master?" The candlestick began rather hesitantly.

"What?" The Beast snarled.

"Well, I was thinking… If the girl is going to be staying with us… Perhaps she may appreciate being relocated to a more, erm, suitable room?" Francis trailed off as his master's growl threatened to snuff out his flame permanently. "Or not." He sighed.

* * *

The Beast opened the door to the tower dungeon to see that the main room was empty. Fearing for a moment that the girl had fled in his absence, he turned to leave and find her, but stopped when he heard a small hiccup from one of the cells, accompanied by the sounds of the girl's soft crying. Moving towards the cell that had previously held the blonde man, the Beast looked inside to find the girl curled up in the corner, shaking from a combination of the chilled air and her sobbing.

A pang of empathy ran through him, and he decided to act upon Francis's advice. He pushed the cell door open, and was immediately greeted with a teared-stained glare from the young woman before him.

"You didn't let me say goodbye." She said accusingly. "You just took him away without letting me say goodbye. I'll never see him again, and I didn't get to say goodbye."

He tried to think of something to say that would offer her any solace at all, but the only thing he could think to say was "I'll show you to your room."

"Isn't _this _my room?" The girl asked incredulously.

"Do you _want _it to be?" He found himself snapping back.

"No." The girl replied.

"Then follow me." He said, and turned to lead her from the tower.

* * *

Elizabeta followed the Beast down the halls of the enormous castle. Despite the fact that the walls around her were literally the walls of her prison, she couldn't help but appreciate the amazing architecture of it all. "At least it's a nice prison." She mused humorlessly.

The Beast's voice interrupted her thoughts. "This is your home now. You may go anywhere within the castle grounds that you wish, except for the West Wing." He said.

"Why can't I go in the West Wi-"

"It's _forbidden!_" The Beast boomed, silencing her.

Elizabeta huffed and fixed a glare on the Beast, who had resumed leading her towards her bedroom. Eventually, they reached an ornately decorated set of double doors. Opening the doors, Elizabeta stepped inside, only to have the Beast's voice draw her attention back out.

"I-You-Uh. You… Will… Join me for dinner." He demanded roughly. "That's _not a request!" _And with that, he slammed her bedroom doors shut and was gone.

Elizabeta turned to find herself facing an enormous bed, which she eagerly ran to and flung herself upon. It was there, within the silken sheets, that for the second time that day she unleashed a tsunami of tears. It was there that she realized the gravity of her choice and the reality of her situation, and it was there that she allowed her walls to crumble.

* * *

**AN: Sooooo... Yeah. There may've been a little OOCness with Lizzy there, what with the crying and all, but rest assured that she won't be like that the entire time. She's still gonna be the feisty lil' mama we all know and love ;) I'm hoping to have the next chapter written and updated by the end of this week. My New Year's Resolution will be to get a grip on all of my fanfics and be more adamant about updating them. And that means I need to be more adamant about sitting down and writing my stories. XD**

**Next Chapter Preview: Another character is, like, totally introduced! And how will Lizzy react when faced with the Beast's temper? R&R and stay tuned for the next chapter of Beauty and the Beast! :D Love you guys!**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I'm a bad, BAD Siren! I should have been writing and updating this a long time ago! I'm so sorry to have kept you all waiting! I'll try to be better about it! Luckily, I have today and tomorrow off from school, so I can get caught up on all my stories. Thank you all for your support and understanding. I love you guys! :) So without further ado, here's the next chapter of Beauty and the Beast. Enjoy!**

Chapter 4

A short time later there came a knock on her door. Elizabeta sniffed, wiped her eyes, and moved to open the door. "Who is it?" She asked. She opened the door and saw no one there. "Show yourself!" She demanded.

"Down here." A gruff voice said from below. Elizabeta looked down to see a beer stein staring up at her.

"What the hell?!" Elizabeta shrieked, and kicked the beer stein down the hall. When she heard the sound of stone hitting stone and a loud grunt, she immediately rushed out and picked the stein up. "Oh, crap. I'm so sorry! I just- I was- And then you- _Talking- _ And I-"

"Apology accepted." The beer stein said curtly. It hopped down from her hand and into her room. "I came to see if you were thirsty."

"Oh. That's very kind of you, but I'm not really-"

"It's beer." The stein said.

"In that case, I could use a drink. Especially after the day I've had." She said.

"That's what I thought you'd say. Feliciano! Get in here!" The stein yelled. Immediately, a small blur darted into the room and landed on Elizabeta's lap. Looking down, Elizabeta saw a teacup with an odd curly handle bouncing in her hand.

"Ciao!" The teacup greeted before spiraling into a whirlwind of words. "I'm Feliciano! You can call me Feli! Wow, you're such a pretty lady! I like pretty ladies. I also like Ludwig. I know he can be a real big scary meanie-pants sometimes, but whenever I'm in trouble he always saves me. What's your name? Do you like pasta? I like pasta! But I haven't been able to have any since-"

"Feli!" The beer stein scolded. "Calm yourself!"

The teacup stopped its bouncing and looked at the beer stein with a pout. "Aww, but Ludwig! She's so pretty! And she smells nice! And-" The teacup stopped mid-sentence upon feeling Elizabeta start to shake. Looking up, he realized that she was laughing.

"S-Sorry!" She gasped, clutching her sides. "I just realized that I've become my father! I've gone mad!" She chortled and chuckled until tears began to fall from her eyes. She soon stopped laughing and started crying. "I've gone mad. I've gone absolutely bonkers. I'm crazy." She whispered.

"You are, like, so _not_ crazy!" A voice from behind her protested. Elizabeta slowly turned around to see her wardrobe watching her.

"I'm not? Sure. _Sure_ I'm not crazy. I'm just supposed to believe that furniture and objects here can talk?" She asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah. It's, like, not that hard to understand." The wardrobe replied.

"Maybe for _you, _Feliks, but _she _isn't a talking wardrobe." The beer stein reasoned.

The wardrobe gasped. "Why- I _never- _I'll have you know that I am totally not just a talking wardrobe. I am a fashion designing, hair styling, pony breeding, singing, dancing, country-flying, hair-flipping, '_talking wardrobe'_."

Elizabeta cleared her throat. "Excuse me, but I still have some questions." She said. "If I'm not crazy and you're all real, then how did this happen?" She asked.

"That is a question for the master." The beer stein said. "If you are that curious, you can ask him at dinner."

At the beer stein's mention of dinner, the wardrobe squealed and flung open its drawers. "Ooh! I've got the perfect thing for you to wear! I'm thinking that green is, like, so _totally _your color. It would totally be matching with your eyes!"

Elizabeta smiled sadly and shook her head. "That's very kind, but… I'm not going to dinner."

"What? But you, like, _have_ to! The master said-"

"If the 'master' is so keen on having dinner with me, then he should have asked me like a gentleman would, not like a general ordering his men to the battlefield. I may be a prisoner here, but that doesn't mean that I'll stand to be ordered around like some _slave." _Elizabeta said.

"He won't like hearing that." The beer stein warned.

"So be it." Elizabeta shrugged. "But enough about that; if I'm going to be here for awhile, I might as well get to know everyone. What are your names again?" She asked.

"I am Ludwig," The beer stein said. "This is Feli-" He nodded towards the teacup that was still resting in Elizabeta's hand, "And-"

"And I'm Feliks!" The wardrobe cut in, much to Ludwig's irritation. "And you and I are, like, totally going to be the best girlfriends forever!"

"Ludwig, Feli, and Feliks; got it." Elizabeta made a mental note of their names. "I'm Elizabeta. Wait, _Feliks?_ Isn't that a _guy's _name?" She asked.

"Feliks _is _a guy," Ludwig said. "Even though he doesn't act like it."

Feliks merely stuck his tongue out at Ludwig and turned away as much as he could, given his enormous width.

"Oh. Well. That's more than a little awkward." Elizabeta muttered. "I think you're a very, uh, pretty…. guy, Feliks." She said, hoping to make the wardrobe feel better. It seemed to work, as he turned back around and smiled at her.

"I, like, so totally knew there was a reason why I was liking you!" He said.

Elizabeta smiled and let out the mental breath she had been holding. _Bullet dodged, _she congratulated herself. She noticed Ludwig was looking rather uncomfortable. "What's the matter, Ludwig?" She asked.

"If you aren't going to dinner, then it's up to me to tell the master." Ludwig explained hesitantly."He won't be happy. Not at _all._"

Elizabeta felt a pang of guilt at the sight of Ludwig's nervous expression. "I'm sorry, Ludwig. But I can't bear to be in the same room as him." She said remorsefully.

"You should give the master a chance," Feliciano piped in. It was then that Elizabeta realized that the apparently chatty teacup had been fairly silent up to that point.

She regarded him curiously. "Why do you say that, Feli?" She asked.

"I think he just doesn't know how to react to a person being in the castle. Especially a girl." Everyone in the room was silent, amazed at Feliciano's apparent moment of logical thinking. However, that moment was soon over, as he began to prattle on. "I like girls. Not as much as I like Ludwig, but I like girls. Pretty ones. I think-" He was cut off by an irritated-looking Ludwig.

"_I think _we're done here, Feli. Let's go inform the master of the change in dinner plans." Elizabeta noticed the slight shudder that ran through Ludwig as he thought of the anger he was sure to face.

Feliciano quieted and nodded, hopping after Ludwig with one last "See you later, Elle!" as the door shut behind them.

"Elle?" Elizabeta wondered out loud.

"Looks like Feli has given you a nickname," Feliks said. "He only does that for people he really likes. So that mean's pretty much, like, everyone in the castle has a nickname."

Elizabeta smiled. "He's cute. I can tell that he and Ludwig really like each other. Even if Ludwig is kind of harsh on him sometimes," She added. "So," She said, turning to Feliks. "Now what?"

"Now," Feliks said "We wait for the master."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, I'd imagine that once he learns you've decided to play hooky from dinner, he'll be, like, totally pissed. He's definitely gonna come by and yell." Feliks warned.

Elizabeta huffed. "Sounds like he's got a real temper."

"You have no idea." Feliks said with a small chuckle. "But believe me when I say that despite his unsightly exterior and rather grumpy interior, the master's actually a pretty good guy." At Elizabeta's questioning stare, he corrected himself. "Okay, so that, like, totally came out differently than I meant it to. What I mean is that the master has been feeling hopeless and lonely for too long. He doesn't know what to do with himself. He's used to being shut off from the world because of his… aesthetic challenges."

"That's sad," Elizabeta said. "I guess in a way, I can empathize with him. I've always been sort of lonely, too. I was never really a part of the town I lived in. They saw me as an odd character. I never really fit in. But just because I wasn't accepted didn't mean that I went around being cruel and fierce to everyone else." She argued.

"Yeah, but you weren't, like, a giant beast that everyone took one look at and shunned without giving you a chance." Feliks argued.

"True." Elizabeta said, then sighed. "Maybe I _will _give him a chance. I'll go down to dinner." She said.

"Like, good for you!" Feliks exclaimed. "But I'd hurry before-"

Suddenly, from somewhere else in the castle, a giant roar could be heard before what sounded like a herd of rhinos charged towards Elizabeta's room. The doors nearly burst out of their frame as the Beast pounded on them.

"Why didn't you come down? I thought I told you to come to dinner!" The Beast demanded from the other side of the doors.

Her decision to attend dinner flew from her mind as the Beast's words filled her with rage. "Well," She said, crossing to the doors and speaking through them to the individual on the other side, "I had just changed my mind and decided to attend dinner after all, but now, with the way you've been speaking to me, I don't think I will."

The pounding on her door stopped for a moment as the Beast processed her words. Then he spoke from the other side of the doors. "Will you please change your mind again?" He asked her gruffly. The words sounded as though they were difficult to get out, and he seemed to be saying them through his teeth, as though it was immensely difficult for him to swallow his pride and talk to her calmly.

"No, _thank you._" Elizabeta said. She knew she was being unreasonable, but at the moment, she didn't care.

This stirred the anger in the Beast once again. "Fine. If you won't eat with me, then you won't eat _at all._" And with that, Elizabeta heard his thundering footsteps fade away.

**AN: Fourth Chapter DONE! What do you all think of the Poland Wardrobe? ;D R&R and stay tuned! **

**Chapter 5 Preview: "Elle" gets into some trouble in the West Wing, and a series of events bring our two protagonists closer together. Meanwhile, Arthur tries to find help in the village-**

**Matthew: Ahem. *Tries to get StorySiren's attention***

**AN: -in order to rescue Elizabeta from the Beast's clutches.**

**Matthew: Excuse me. **

**AN: Who are you?**

**Matthew: I'm Matthew. And... um... well... I hate to bother you, but you forgot to mention that I'm introduced in the next chapter.**

**AN: And you are...?**

**Matthew: Never mind. *Sighs***

**AN: Stay tuned for the next chapter of Beauty and the Beast, coming soon! (But seriously, who ****_is _****this guy?)**


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